Catching a Mermaid
by Kuro no Usagi
Summary: 71st annual Hunger Games are starting and it seems the wandering mermaid has lost her fins and begins life upon the soils of man with little knowledge about what is about to ensue her.
1. Chapter 1

The sunlight was soft as the gentle sea breeze scattered salt on their skin. The tinted morning sky was welcoming the brilliant sun amongst the early sky, the colours swirling and mixing together to form a beautiful horizon across the stretched sea. The water's edge rippled against the shore and licked at the support pillars of the docks, clinging to the skin of people who passed, spreading the bumps of chill down their skin.

She was no exception. Her skin was dappled with bumps as the hair on her arms stood straight up to the morning routine. She was slender and the pallor of her skin was a delicate sight among the men of the many boats which lined the dock. Her long mane of pale golden string was weaved into an intricate braid down her back as she glided across the wooden structure, a basket of her own catches held close to her side. She was dressed in a simple dark cotton sleeved shirt which was slightly covered by the opaque beaver vest over her shoulders, dark leather pants and her high rubber boots.

It was a common sight to see the young porcelain beauty among the dreary outtakes of the dock and the fisherman who lived among its shores. She had developed a clock schedule around her days, which some men of landing boats had looked upon as an invitation to see the one fish they would never catch.

The little mermaid princess, some called her. Her castle was the chilling waters of the sea and her knights rode in on sea foam which gathered on the shore, the hulls of their ships driving away all threats of man which found their way towards her. She was untouched by man or at least that was the rumor which had infested the many docks she would visit, the men upon them taking bets as to whom might one day collect the winnings of her form; though only one man had grown even a sliver close to the winnings and even he was uninterested in such things.

He was the son of a well known fishmonger on the main dock. Both his mother and father haggled and bartered prices of fish and other sea creatures, usually winning what they wanted. Neither had ever been on a boat, his mother saying that the ships of the port were always cursed with the dead; though when she had first told the blonde beauty this, the mermaid had given her a sharp glare which resulted in a swift scolding from the mother. "Jest 'cause yo' don't like' hearin' doesn't make it any less true," she had told her, the small children which were clutching her skirt laughing at the embarrassment which the blonde had shown.

"I swear that woman will_ never_ like me," she groaned playfully as the two found their normal spot among the rocks, "I think it's because I'm a fisherman's daughter or something and she just holds it against me."

"If she didn't like you, you'd know," he laughed, adjusting the pole and spear which rested against his shoulder, a woven basket in his other hand, "besides, if she really didn't like you, I'm sure she wouldn't always remember that you like your fish cut thin and smoked, instead of grilled like mine always are."

She pushed her lips together and thought about it. It was true, she had once asked how the blonde liked her fish and she had told her. Though the older woman had commented somewhat rudely on her liking of fish, she had not once forgotten and always included two sandwiches marked for her within the lunches she prepared.

That was how their day always began. She would find her way to his house across the small river which fed into the ocean. The house was small like hers, but the family inside was large. There were three bedrooms, shared between the family of eight. His mother and father got the only downstairs room, while the six children split up equally between the two upstairs. His two brothers shared a room with him while his three younger sisters had the room opposite them. She had always found it crowded, but never cold like her house.

"Looks like the weather's blessed us with a kind day, Harper!" she shouted excitingly as she hopped from rock to rock, the swaying sea beneath her boots.

"More like it blessed you, Koi fish." He laughed as he followed behind the blonde, "Besides, what kind of blessing would the weather give on a day like today?"

Koi stopped, her body pivoting on the single rock she was perched on. Harper was right, about that, today was not a day to be blessed about, "Well, at least today we'll see who won the bet this year," she gave a cocky smile as she hopped off her rock, her feet sinking into the wet sand.

"I'm telling you, that Grant boy is definitely going to volunteer, he just looks like one of those damned Career's," he laughed hooping beside her as she jammed her own spear within the soft sand, "but I can't see that Trevor boy you're betting on volunteering, he just seems so…_soft._"

She began to uncoil the wire around her pole, the hook already tied and weighted properly, "But that's just it," she replied back, reaching for the bait which was neatly wrapped in plastic from the basket, "Trevor Hathoway comes from a family of volunteers and winners. I mean his dad was a victor of the 60th game, so what's stopping him from doing it this year?"

"But he's so skinny! I swear, if anyone was to volunteer, he'd have to be strong enough to hold his own," Harper replied to his pale friend, copying the motions she was going through, "and that one girl, Mellie Delphy, yeah, not really volunteer material, if you ask me."

Koi laughed, "_Please_, you think that Ashland girl is going to be the one to volunteer this year," the fair haired maiden casted her line, the small ripples of the line showing her where she had landed, "I think she'd be more worried about breaking a nail then volunteering!"

"Okay, so maybe I was going on looks," he admitted, climbing back on one of the rocks to get a farther cast, "but she has this glint in her eyes…I don't know, she's kinda scary if you ask me."

Koi's pale lips pulled into a smile as she too took a perch upon some rocks. The blonde girl knew the faces of each person who passed their lips, the trained individuals having spent many years preparing for the games. Harper had known a few, he told her, "Well, before I dropped out I knew them, now half of them seem alien to me all over again." She wished they were alien to her, but they were all too fresh in her mind.

She had once known them from both school and training, before the accident. She had been friends with most of them, knowing the intimate details of their lives before they left hers. Koi could remember having to beg her mother to let her go to the training school like her older brother, wanting to participate like the other students at her school. After nearly four years of asking, after her twelfth birthday, her first Reaping year, her mother had caved and she had begun her training.

At first the training was simple survival skills, though the young fisherman's daughter did have to catch up on the many years she had missed. Survival came easily to her, allowing her to pass many of the other students within a few weeks, which didn't help when they got to the weaponry and fighting portion of the lessons. There she was battered and bruised often for being a fisherman's daughter, for being smarter in survival and camouflage, and for just being her.

Her brother, Minos Sliverfin, had pleaded several times for her to drop out of training, taking on the same mind set as their father had about the games, "People always volunteer for them, so a fair girl like you doesn't have to worry about being picked, because someone will always volunteer for you." She didn't believe his words, because on some years Reaping, no one volunteered, even if it was the child's first year.

"You think Minos might be picked this year?" Her head shot up and her brow furrowed together, "Hey, hey, sorry! Just thinking outside the box is all." Harper shot back as he put up his hand in defense against her icy glare.

"Minos has one more year and after that he'll go work for the _Sirenia_, just like you. That's that. No being reaped or going to the Capitol for him." She proudly stated, watching as the light bob of his floater signaled for a catch.

"But how many slips are his this year? I mean, he has to have at least twenty by now," Harper mentioned as he began to real in his own line slowly, the tug of a fish on the end.

"Thirty six," she corrected, watching her own floater intensely, "but I know he won't be taken from me, I just know it."


	2. Chapter 2

With the sun nearly reaching its height, the two had departed the ocean side they had claimed and made their way back into town. They hid their tools within a crevasse of two rocks, a place where when the tide was high it was unreachable. Though their usual routine would keep the two out till nearly dusk, on Reaping Day, it was only as long as they could push it. With their lunch basket and a stray line filled with more than a dozen fish, the two knew they could make a good profit. When they arrived back into the lower part of their district, they scuttled across and took cover by a small patch of trees.

"Here, you take the basket," Harper suggested as he took the hooked line from her pale hands, "there's more in it and their fresher. That'll be good if you take it to Pier 4."

"Right," she nodded a smile on her lips. She easily traded the line for the basket, situating it under her arm, "I'll meet up with you after. Still think its stupid how you fisherman get to skip out on the Reaping if you're 'working'," she laughed.

"Well it takes a lot to man a boat," he smiled, waving as she began her trek towards the dock, "and you better bring some of those cinnamon candies you always have!"

The blonde smiled as she responded, basket tucked neatly under her arm as a small cloth covered the proof of their adventure. Koi had once gotten caught by a peacekeeper for having a fish out on a line, her pole in another hand. They had thought she was illegally fishing, which would have resulted in a public lashing, but thanks to Harper and an older merchant, she had gotten away by saying she had bought both her pole and fish from the merchant, though it was clearly a lie. She heaved a sigh as she remembered those days, the days after her parent's passing.

Her father had been a strong man who had dark ash curls which kept the sunlight from reaching his sea coloured eyes. The mermaid could remember her father like he was still there. His booming laugh which seemed to shake the support beams of their house and his strong hands which always chased away her nightmares were always the closet in her minds reach, always reminding her like a storm. He had been a fisherman under one of the Adelaine Fishing Companies, the largest factory in the district, boats; being sent out to sea by the end of summer and returning by the beginning of Winter.

It had only been three years since his disappearance at sea; the raging storm having swallowed him up in a single second. The family of three had been given a plaque etched with his name and words of honor and good word, a small compensation fee alongside it, but the damage it wrecked was far more devastating to them then they would have hoped. Her brother had taken to getting as many odd jobs at any of the docks as he could, making little but enough for them to sustain what life they had left. Her mother, with her fair hair and dull eyes, had taken up another job at the docks, working as a ship cleaner. With both focused on work, the young blonde of only 15 quit her after school activities and began to do small outsourced jobs as well, hidden from her families worries. She had started as a deck hand for an elderly man who taught her how to scale and gut a fish, teaching her how to properly tie knots and use a spear for fishing. The old man had become a help to her, teaching her how to snare beavers who threatened the rivers bends and which plants were good or bad, teaching her how to survive better than a textbook and display could ever do.

It hadn't been long till their mother followed in their father's steps, growing sicker and sicker as the months passed by. She had grown pale and her strength was sipped from her muscles by the illness which plagued her. The wound was still fresh upon her bosom as she remembered the final days of her mother's breath. Her hair had been smoothed as the pale golden silk had lost much of its colour, turning into a tasteless shade of grey. Her once warm chocolate eyes had become sunken in and hollow as they faded to a glassy glazed look, her boney cheeks and cracked lips giving her more of a deathly look. Rumors had swept across the district like wild fire, the idea that she had killed herself, giving herself scurvy and suffering through the pain.

Koi would always defend her mother, shouting at anyone who challenged the disease which had stolen her from them. She knew her mother, the once gentle heart and soft sin of her mother's touch which always soothed the storms of her mind and heart. Their mother had been a beauty compared to the dreary life which she lived, a pearl among the oysters and clams of the district. Some believed she had passed on the glimmering beauty to her daughter, while others saw the venomous glow which Koi would carry if she showed her face in the richer parts of town; her icy gaze freezing all who dared to match her hues.

Now their lives were sullen but well. Her brother had continued to pick up deck hand jobs on any port which required one, returning home with the stench of fish and alcohol as blood soaked into his skin and clothes. Koi too had kept her jobs secretive, working within the older parts of the district as a trapper while also selling some of her own caught goods at market. As long as she played her cards right, the young mermaid could bargain her way into nearly any deal, selling a basket of ten fish for more than enough to buy a new pole or spear, but never was it used for that.

Stuffing the money into the pocket over her breast, she thanked the merchant with a genuine smile, something Harper had told her made her look more appealing in public then keeping her face sullen and somber. Taking the basket, now filled with only two fish and a medley of vegetables, she sleuthed her way from the public's eye of the market, covering her bought good in the crook of her arm. She could easily be home in time to surprise her brother as she always did, telling him how the money he had brought in yesterday had been more than enough for her to prepare a splendid dinner as always.

The rising sun began to taunt her as she got closer to home, reminding her what little time she would have to change into one of her dresses and be ready for the Reaping. She shivered at the thought of it all giving her skin a fresh wave of bumps. She shook it off, rolling her neck and shoulders back. She was not going to let Harper's curious words infest her mind about her brother's safety and his nearly endless amount of slips. It was his last year and she knew he wouldn't be called, she just knew it.

She quickly made her way into the kitchen, placing the basket of perishables into the fridge before anything could come about them. The blonde girl swiftly made her way up to her room, pulling out the first dress she saw and laying it out on her bed. It was a pale lavender shade with small gold accents in the waist. It was long and billowed as she walked, the only type of dress Koi was keen to wear. It hugged her torso but slowly melted down her hips and felt like water as it moved along with her. She pulled out her twisted braid, letting her golden silk curl and twist down her back an shoulders freely, the only way her brother would let her leave the house. She danced on her feet gently for a moment, swaying the material across her flesh like a child as she let her hair tail behind her. She always felt childish when she wore a dress, having become accustomed to pants and boots so quickly.

"Koi fish! You better be ready or else we'll be late!" called a rugged and harsh voice, the seed of comfort tinting his tone.

Jumping down the stairs, the childish girl laughed as she leaped from the steps, gracefully landing on her bare feet. Smiling up at her brother as she let her eyes wonder about his form. He was tall, much like their father had been, but he was lean like her, having fair skin like their mother. A mop of dark curls accented his sea coloured eyes, the ones he shared with her, while his high cheek bones resembled the ones their mother had before her passing.

"Well then, aren't you all prettied up for the day," he joked, setting aside his boots and rising from the small entry way bench, "isn't that one of mums old dresses?"

Koi smiled as she nodded, "I thought since it would be the first reaping without her, a token to remember her by would be in order." The two smiled, silently agreeing, "Aren't you getting ready as well?"

Minos shook his head, his curls bouncing as he did, "my last year," he stated proudly, "if they want me dressed for another year of reaping, well they better choose a different tribute." She smiled widely, her eyes glittering as she looked at her brother proudly. Quickly the two vanished back into the open district, the two gaining secretive glances and whispers as they passed; it never bothered them though, they lived a simple happy life, one which not even the Capitol could invade.


	3. Chapter 3

Her heels creaked upon the solid ground, her teased and billowing crimson wig bouncing with every step. Adara Applebee, the District 4 escort, was dressed in a golden velvet dress which tightly hugged her hips and accented her long legs. She had a pair of crimson heels with little woven in gold bows on the toes, her outfit reminding the siblings of a lion prowling after her prey, then a sweet older woman who was supposed to keep the unlucky tributes punctual and well mannered; nothing too hard in her case. Her eyes grazed the crowed, eyes the split groups of possible tributes; her lips curling into a wide grin. Her appearance always gave Koi the fear that she might one day jump into the crowed and savagely attack the younger grouped children, though she was too high maintenance for something like that, Koi always wondered.

After registering, sticking her pricked finger between her lips to sooth the small ache, she filed in beside a few girls she once knew, now polished and pressed for the reaping. She was on the edge of the herded group, the wide space which separated the girl's from the boy's right to her left. A peacekeeper was stationed beside her, his white uniform and gun in hand earning a delighted icy dagger from the mermaid. She was never fond of the peacekeepers, their guns proving to the rest of the district that they belonged to them, to the Capitol. No matter what they did, those guns would be the final outcome. She bit into her lip, pulling her attention away from the isle, the crowd beginning to calm down as the mayor rises from his place in the back and gladly replaces the prowling lioness at the stage.

He began his routinely speech about the history of the games, something Koi found droll and repetitive. She easily pushed his voice out of her mind as she let her own ideas flourish. She wondered where her brother was, wondered if Harper's younger sister and two brothers were buried among the crowd around her, she even wondered what her old classmates were thinking right now; wondering which would volunteer first. She smiled to herself as she spotted her own betting two, watching as both Grant and Trevor seemed to be in deep conversation about something, she hoped it was an argument on which was going to volunteer; the money was something she didn't want to hand over to her friend anytime soon.

She looked over slightly, watching as the many victors of the district filled in, stifling a laugh as the girls seemed to synchronize their flattering sigh as Finnick Odair walked up, though it was obvious his attention was preoccupied with the girl who followed behind him. Koi tried not to laugh, keeping her icy gaze upon the crowd beside her, straining her blue hues to locate her brother. It seemed to be an almost impossible task among the many tall young men who cluttered the roped in area. She huffed a sigh, leaning her weight over onto her left hip as she took notice of the rest of the repeating spread. Boredom was eating away at her insides, the anticipating sight of the tributes beginning to become more and more unimportant compared to the bet she had. It wasn't until the lioness got back to her feet and strolled across the platform back to the podium, her lips wide in a grin, when things began to pick up once more as she preyed upon the glass bowls which sat on both sides of her.

"As always," she cackled joyfully, her voice making the mermaid cringe, "Ladies first!" Her crooked and long decretive nails plunging deep into the contents of the first bowl. She gave a small girlish yelp as she snatched out a paper and playfully waved it about, smiling back at the mayor before she pulled it apart. The crowd went silent and some of the girls began to take deep breaths, preparing to rescue their friends or enemies, preparing to volunteer. Koi gave a cocky smile as she watched some of them, their hands itching to be shot up high within the air to claim the title of Victor, something she never would think to do.

"Oh! Such a themed name," she giggled playfully as she examined the slip carefully, "Koi Sliverfin!"

The mermaid's heart stopped and her blood ran cold in her veins. Her eyes were wide and her muscles numb and unresponsive. She couldn't put together anything in her mind, the numbness enveloping her mind as well. She stood there for what felt like forever, the taste of salt on her lips and the smell of the ocean behind her, waving at her to come to its shores. She wanted to slip from the crowd, to run as far as her legs would carry her and dive beneath the waters and escape; but it was realized once more when they called her name again.

"Koi? Are you out there darling?" The lioness purred into the microphone, scanning the girl's side.

She would have stayed hidden, stayed within the cluster of girls, if not for the one girl beside her which knocked her from the safety of the group, exiling her into the open isle. She would have nearly fallen to the ground if not for the peacekeeper who grasped her arm tightly, keeping her on her unbalanced feet. She hissed out with venom, tearing her arm from his grasp with a submerged curse in her voice. Another peacekeeper came behind her and grasped her other arm, the one she had cursed at taking hold of her other one as well. Another pair came closer, advancing with a bit of caution as she seemed to have fire burning in her icy haze.

"Koi fish," called a voice behind her, the only voice which would ever call for her, "Koi!" His voice was urgent and loud as he shouted for her.

She snapped her head back, the fire drowning in the melting ice of her eyes, her brother becoming covered by a plethora of white uniforms, his broad figure trying to push through the wall of Capitol guards. That became the only voice Koi could hear, the tireless shouts of her brother from behind her, her heels digging into the soft ground as she tried to stop them from taking her to the stage. She could already feel the peering eyes around her, the murmurs of relief and whispers of a more prideful district spreading. They wanted to get rid of her, she began to think, planned this from the beginning to remove the only displaced family within the district.

"Well," came the crackling howl of the escort, "seems we've already got a fighter; that could be promising!" Her voice was cool and collected as the pale blonde was tossed on the stage beside her. "Now then, on to the boys!"

Koi stood there, peacekeepers close by and preparing to pounce, as her body began to tremble in fear. She was scared out of her mind and trapped among the stage, the eyes of the whole district on her, examining her and eyeing her as they looked at her. The girls she knew who wanted to volunteer, their hands now down at their sides and their lips curled into light cocky smile. They were glad it was her, glad that in only a week they would be easily be rid of the damage girl of their district; the last pearl of her broken family. No one would volunteer for her; no one wanted to save her.

"Alrighty then," Adara smiled, her lips curled back, "and now for your companion, a mister Dante Tredway?" She called, hinting in her voice for a more peaceful tribute to join the venomous girl beside her.

Before anyone could speak a word about the tribute, a hand shot into the air with lightning speed. A rush of voices caressed the entire district as his voice rang over them all, "I volunteer as tribute!"

The bursting cries of a woman from the outer crowds seemed to crackle like thunder to her son's lightning speed, but it was the murmuring of the people which seemed to be the peacekeepers next challenge. Escorted by the white gentlemen, the male tribute was brought to the stage, Koi's gaze only glancing over towards him as he was placed on the other side of their escort.

The cat like lady purred as she placed a gloved hand to her cheek, fluttering her lashes, "Oh! Well, I'm sure we all know who _you_ are," she cooed lightly, waving a hand out to the cameras which were stationed like vultures around the square, "but give us your name for the _other_ districts to know who you are!"

She was right; everyone in the district did know him. The paralyzed mermaid, her hands clamped tightly onto her arms as she stood there, unmoved by his gesture of goodwill.

"Talen Adelaine," he smiled, giving a small wave towards the cameras.

Only son of the Adelaine Fishing Company, largest company in the district, seemed calmed as he stood there with a small smile on his lips. He was a pleasing sight, his dark ash smoothed over hair and blistering cold blue eyes. Koi had remembered back in her school days she had on occasion ran into the boy, even seeing him down by his father's docks when she wanted to visit Harper. She wanted to rub it in Harper's face that he had lost, but there was no sweetness to the victory she had, no glory. She was going to die and nothing there was nothing she could o about it.

"There you have it District 4!" Adara smiled, "Your 71st Hunger Games Tributes!"


	4. Chapter 4

It wouldn't process, the events which had carried her to the lone room within the Justice Building. She couldn't even begin to gather all the information which had been given to her; she was tribute and they had forgotten their desires to volunteer because of it. She began to have a growing loathsome feeling in the pit of her stomach for them, the poison in her blood now festering and feasting at her insides. She stood there, unstirred as the door was once more opened, revealing the tall broad figure of her brother.

His eyes looked sullen and his features hung low somberly as he quickly snatched the blonde in his arms. There was a moment's hesitation, the venom she had accumulated wanting to spill forth, but there was no reason for her to do that with him. She slowly and cautiously wrapped her arms around him, fighting the infection which had begun to consume her violently. She could hear the slow deep breaths he was taking, keeping himself presentable and strong for her, the one thing she would need to be now; strong. When he pulled back, their eyes locked, his large gentle hands wrapping around her cheeks as his thumbs brushed under her eyes. It was then that she realized he was brushing back her tears. Had she been crying? She didn't feel them as they glided down her pale cheeks, didn't see them as they blurred her vision.

"You'll need to stop that now," he hushed, placing a delicate kiss on her brow, "the entire continent is watching. Every district, every person, and if they see you cry you'll lose sponsors."

She opened her mouth to protest about having to go. She didn't want to go to the Capitol and be their toy, she wanted to go home. He shushed her again, "You show them what you can do, okay? Remember, water is your best ally," his voice began cluster together and his words seemed rushed, "as long as you get to a body of water, you stay put. No allies, they'll only make you weaker and kill you faster." Koi wanted to stop him and ask how he knew about this, the fact that his schooling might have taught him escaping her mind, "Also, remember, as long as you can survive, you won't need to get your hands bloody. Stay clear of the Career's and especially your own partner," she watched as he fiddle with something in his pocket, the small sounds of porcelain rubbing together giving Koi a small detail about it.

Pulling it from his pocket, it shown like glass. A pale white shell necklace, the shells each dappled with light tints of hazel and gold, "It was going to be your eighteenth birthday present," he whispered, "mum made it especially for you. Though I guess now it's a better token then present…"

Koi smiled, taking the shelled jewelry into her palms and wrapping it tendering in her hands. She jumped from her feet into his arms, hers coiling around his neck, "I'll miss you," she muttered, the tears forming in her eyes, "make sure you watch out or Harper on the _Sirenia_ and make sure to watch out for Lyla's tricks."

She felt his chest release a laugh as he pulled back to look at her. She could see the rough lines of his face become more defined, as if he'd age another five years. She wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault and that she was thankful for everything he'd done for her and that he should make sure to take care of himself while she was gone. She had so much she wanted to say, but nothing from her mind came to her lips, leaving her silent and attentive. Minos once more brushed his thumbs under her eyes, the waves of her sea coloured hues spilling over and running down her cheeks.

"Remember Koi fish," he smiled, though she could see he was forcing it, "I'm expecting you back here alright? I'm expecting you back for _my_ birthday next month."

She felt a laugh brush against her lips, a genuine smile rooting after. Before she could reply, the door was thrown open and the men in white came for him once more. Her brother growled as they grasped his forearms tightly, pulling him back, though it did take quite a lot of effort. Koi took a few steps to follow, but another pair of hands grasped her as well. She twisted her head and the face of a young peacekeeper was there, his chin flicked with dark stubble and his eyes a piercing shade of emerald. He looked at her, though she was certain he was blind to the hurt in her own eyes; holding her against her struggle and shouts to be released.

She turned back towards her brother, nearly four men grasping and pulling at his broad figure to remove him from the room. The blonde felt her chest tighten and her mind spiral out of control, her lips following after. "Minos! Minos!" She called her arms tight behind her back, "I promise you I'll come home! I'll be here for your birthday! I promise!"

She couldn't see is he had heard her, but she was grateful it had finally been said. When the door was shut once more, the man released his grip on her, her balance failing and her knees colliding with the floor. Her pale blonde shroud covered her face, keeping her encased within a curtain of light. She heard the man's steps as he walked towards the door, stopping for a brief moment, his eyes baring hole in her head. "You'd need a miracle to win fishy."

She looked up from her curtain, her eyes their icy glory once more, "Then go find me a shooting star," she hissed, the peacekeeper straightening up and exiting quickly. She was in no mood to deal with the remarks of peacekeepers. No one would know if she could win without watching it themselves; she could do it if she really tried. She _had_ to do it. Scrambling to her feet again, the pale doll placing herself within the plush scarlet cushions of the loveseat which sat in the room. Her hands fiddled together, tangling them and untangling them as she waited for minutes. She wondered if Harper was coming, the tall dark figure of her only true friend visible in her eyes as he cleansed the sides of the boat of the hitchhikers they had acquired out at sea, now wondering if he even knew where she was.

He'd burst through the doors, spending no time in the doorway to examine the room or who was in it. His feet would move swiftly to her, his strong arm collecting the porcelain doll within them, wrapping protectively around her. She could imagine the peacekeepers outside the door, waiting for them to move past a hug and watch for his lips to brush on hers; that never happened. The door shut quick, leaving the two alone once more. The room would fill with the scent of the salty wind, the stale air replaced with the smell of the docks. She would see how his hair dripped lightly onto the pale fabric of her chosen gown, his playful antics reminding her of how serious he was at that moment. She begin to mewl apologies and sorrowful words, his soothing coos tossing each sorry out the window, leaving her lips dry and cracked as her cheeks were painted with her dry tears. Koi would fight back more oncoming sobs, Harper pulling away from their embrace and giving her a smile. His brows would furrow as they dipped down, his lips pulling up into a grieving smile. He'd tell her to be strong, that no tribute would best her if she played it smart.

She continued to babble about the tributes letting her die, wanting to get rid of her within the games. He'd laugh, his deep chuckle sending a shock through her muscles, "Well then you gotta prove them wrong, yeah? I'm expectin' it from ya now." She'd chock out a laugh, trying to keep herself more composed for the train ride ahead. Like her brother, he'd go on telling her rules of the game, telling her that allies would make her grow attached, but sometimes you need them to stay yourself. He told her that survival would always come first, "If you want to live, keep your snares open and water close. I've never seen you stronger then when you're near water."

She continued to nod, few hiccups escaping her lips from the sobs which controlled her body. The blonde mermaid would laugh lightly when he made a comical comment, telling her that both had lost the bet this year, but next year he would be expecting his winnings wrapped in a gold box. She felt lighter, the stress and heavy rock which was in her heart now lifted, letting her take back who she was. Her pale lips would be pulled into a large smile when he finished informing her and he'd sigh and give her one more smile. Then he'd make the only comment which ever bugged the young fisherman's daughter, "You're lucky you know, having Adelaine as your partner. He'll make sure you're taken care of in the Capitol and games," she'd scowled, the waves in her eyes rolling, "because if you treat the people of the Capitol like you do the people down the man dock, well, he'll make sure you're a pearl in their eyes; like your mom was to this district."

She'd be prepared to whip back a comment towards him, but their time would be over then. The doors would rip open and they'd take him, her hands reaching out to grab him once more and drag him back, but it was no use.

But none of that happened for the young blonde. The lifetime she had spent creating and twisting that false memory, it was time to leave. The doors flew open, two tall broad men walking in, painted in white. She didn't move from her seat on the couch, her hands still in her lap. They grabbed her arms, forcing her to her feet and nearly dragging her from the room. The mermaid didn't make any effort to move on her own feet, the two peacekeepers pulling her towards the platform. The train purred with life as it sat waiting for them, the door ajar as the tall lioness climbed aboard behind another heeled blonde.

With a snap of life and the sound of a horn, the blonde doll came to life, pulling free her arms and twisting herself back a few steps. She blinked a couple times, her body positioned in a defensive stance, preparing to take off running any moment. The two peacekeepers were prepared for her to dash, both grunting as they reached for something on their waistbands, a weapon she quickly diagnosed. Koi licked her lips as they curled into a daring snarl, daring them to come another step closer. She was prepared to fight them, to kick her legs into gear and run back towards the sea. If she got to the sea, got to the water, she'd be free. She could swim her way to the docks, to Harper and her brother, hide within the ship they worked on and wait for them to depart. It would be quick and easy, she could do it.

"Koi," came a sweet voice from behind her, making her head twist in confusion as she was soon confronted by a tall figure, "sorry for taking so long. We should probably get one, Adara and Shani must be waiting for us."Koi's eyes searched the tall figure of her partner, wondering why he had interfered with her plans to run, forcing her to follow him upon the purring transport device. His bright blue eyes, not dull and faded like hers, didn't make contact with her, always briefly running over her and moving on to the next thing. His hair was dark, cut short as it swooped over his pale brow and eyes. Dressed nicely, like she was, he easily cajoled the young fiery mermaid onto the train, thanking the peacekeepers for letting her wait for him; a good lie she thought to herself.

When the door shut behind them, the machine roared to life and after a quick tug, the purring was silenced and the machine was moving. The blonde girl pulled herself from his side, her hair whipping behind her as it swayed onto her back, fire in her eyes once more. She was cautious of him, wondering why he had kept her from running, or rather, from being attacked and possibly killed before the games even began; a light hiss growing in her throat.

"Well," another voice sounded, the sound of clanking glass mixing, "seems she _is_ quite the fighter."


End file.
